The proposed conference is a one-day symposium on patient safety strategies, scheduled for Wednesday, May 28, 2003, at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Since the release in 2000 of the Institute of Medicine report, "To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System", quality of care improvements have become a high priorityamong health system leaders. Many questions persist about how to best translate what is known about patient safety issues into repicable and sustainable practices. Hospital and health system leaders nationwide have expressed a need for hands-on tools that offer streamlined and specific approaches to identifying and implementing system improvements. A preliminary list of more than 200 hospitals and health systems have inquired about individual assistance in establishing an Executive Patient Safety program. The proposed one-day symposium addresses the needs of those organizations. Through the presentation of four varying case examples, distribution of tested, valuable practical tools, and a postconference follow-up survey of attendees, the symposium will encourage and guide health system leaders in their first steps toward safer systems.